Monday, September 14, 2015

Review: Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis: Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Date Published: May 8, 2012

Published By: Entangled Teen

Number of Pages: 377

Rating: 4/5

The Lux series is often described as 'Twilight with aliens' so I was a little apprehensive when I picked up Obsidian. Would I be subjected to yet another lame heroine and her abusive boyfriend? Would the book have any sort of plot whatsover? (Off topic, but another question: Will I ever get past my Twilight prejudice?)

My fears were dispelled within the first chapter of the book. Katy is an awesome heroine: bookish, smart, and full of sass. When she first meets Alien-Next-Door Daemon Black, sparks fly - and not the romantic kind. Katy writes him off as a condescending douchebag and ends up flipping him off. Daemon provokes her every time they meet by calling her 'Kitten' and doing everything he can to piss her off. Of course, Katy can't help but want him because he's the hottest guy she's ever met, but she remains adamant that she doesn't like him. Daemon obviously wants Kat but because he's an alien living on a foreign planet, getting too close to a human is risking exposure for him and his sister. He's determined to drive Kat away - or at the very least, drive her crazy.

This all makes for some smoking hot chemistry. I like how Katy sometimes lets her hormones get the better of her (something that happens when you're a horny teenager) but she never turns into a vapid, boy-crazy drone. And while Daemon can be a jerk, he has a genuine reason for wanting to drive her away. I love how one minute they're both snapping at each other and the next they're sharing a genuinely sweet moment. The whole 'I-hate-you-so-much-but-I-want-you-so-bad-but-I-also-might-love-you' thing is nothing new in romance but when it's done well, it's incredibly hot. (And speaking of hot - that make out scene? Arrrrgggghhhh, SO GOOD!)

And can we talk about the ending for a minute? Where Daemon's like 'I think we should be together,' and Kat's like 'You act like an asshole, and I deserve better, so no.' I LOVED it. It was amazing to see this teenage girl recognize her own worth and know that she deserved to be treated better and wasn't going to put up with his crap. Such a powerful ending and I can't wait to see how Daemon's and Kat's relationship plays out in the next book.

There are a few moments in the book that are a little cliched. For example, Daemon saves Katy from a would-be date rapist. There's the inevitable 'reveal' scene where Daemon tells Katy he's an alien and neatly explains everything to her in one chapter. But I can forgive Obsidian for these missteps because it never takes itself too seriously. The book is packed with jokes and snappy dialogue and it's just so much fun. And I think books like this should be fun.

One thing I think we can all agree on is that hot aliens are the best kind of aliens.

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About Me

Hi! I am Sam the Book Girl and I'm obsessed with books of all kinds! Romance, fantasy, mystery, YA--you name it and I will read it. Other obsessions include movies (particularly Disney), animals, TV shows like Sherlock and Hannibal, and writing stories of my own.